The present invention relates to a method for transferring and placing beads for tyres, comprising the steps of:                providing a bead storage unit in which a number of beads are vertically stacked placing spacers in between them,        providing a collection unit for empty spacers, which collection unit is placed in the vicinity of the bead storage unit,        providing a tyre building machine for receiving the beads thereon,        providing a bead retaining means for picking up and retaining a bead, wherein the bead retaining means is provided with engagement jaws that are arranged at equal angular distance in a circumferential direction on the bead retaining means, wherein the engagement jaws are driven or withdrawn in radial direction,        providing a spacer retaining means for picking up and retaining a spacer, and        arranging the bead retaining means and the spacer retaining means on a common transfer means.        
Such a method is known from EP-B1-0567652. In that method the spacer retaining means is formed by drawing means placed radially outside of the bead engagement jaws, which drawing means are able to pick up and retain the spacers by vacuum or magnetic force. For that purpose the drawing means are designed so as to be upwardly and downwardly movable.